The author assumes that these phrases portending doom ("they have cut off his arm"/"after he vomited his constipation was relieved") suggest something about peo

The author assumes that these phrases portending doom ("they have cut off his arm"/"after he vomited his constipation was relieved") suggest something about people's attitude to foreign cultures. I think it's worth bearing in mind that it probably says more about their [largely British] senses of humour.